UN Chief Antonio Guterres calls for full humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza

UN Chief Antonio Guterres has called for a full humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, invoking a rarely used power to urge the Security Council to take action and avert a catastrophe. In a letter to the Security Council, the UN Secretary-General cautioned that the Gaza war may aggravate existing threats to international peace and security. He invoked Article 99 of the founding UN Charter that allows him to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. It is the first time his office directly invoked this powerful diplomatic since 1971.

Mr. Guterres also warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with the potential for widespread disease and displacement. The more than eight weeks of fighting overall had created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Israel and Palestinian Territory, he added.